When does someone become "grown-up"?

I celebrated my 23rd birthday a few weeks ago. Like prior birthdays of the past five or so years, the day caused me to reflect back on my life and the prior year. In all honesty, the time between age 22 and 23 was rather uneventful and unproductive, and will most likely become known as the "forgotten year."
I guess I didn't know what to expect from my early twenties. As a teenager/high school student, people in their twenties seemed so grown. At 16, I would have confidently assured that a woman of 23 was an adult, but now I'm not sure. What defines an adult?
Along the way, there are many so-called markers of adult hood. I didn't feel like an adult after turning 18, I was still in high school for a month and living in my mother's house. Nor did I feel like an adult at 21, still residing in college dorms. Even now, living on my own, with college degree, I still don't feel like an adult and I'm not sure when I will.
As I look a round at other people in my age bracket, I wonder when they became so adult. Every time I go on facebook, I read another status message about someone my age getting engaged, getting married or pregnant, buying a house. I wonder if they feel like adults.
I know that getting engaged isn't the turning point of adulthood, or else the country would be full of children pushing forty. Is being an adult a state of mind--like happiness? Do you recognize adulthood when you reach it, or is it something you recognize only on nostalgic reflection. Any twenty-somethings reading this-feel free to respond with your thoughts on if you feel grown and so when

Why are the Ignorant the loudest?

During an attempt to catch up on the goings on in the world, I headed to Nydailynews.com. After reading the comments left by the readers, I must ask, why do ignorant people always voice their opinion the loudest? Most of the comments on the stories I read were ignorant. They were grammatically inaccurate to the point of not being readable, racist/sexist/classist and often lacking any common sense.

In response to the story about the baby who was abandoned in a taxi cab in Queens,one jerk responded that instead of trying to help the baby, they should have thrown it in a dumpster with the rats. Regardless of whether the comment was serious or said in jest, it makes me sick. Other bloggers used the story as a way to go on a rant about those "damn illegal immigrants" (as the taxi driver spoke little English and was an immigrant from Ecuador). It seems many of the discussers turned every issue into an attack on white people/minorities/poor people/rich people etc. Or making unfounded parallels to unrelated issues. Often the only intelligent comments are responses to the ignorant comments. THE ignorance hurt my head. How can you rant about people "not speaking English," when your post is written in all caps, in very incorrect English and peppered with explatives and exclaimation points that only complicate the message further?
America needs a literacy test. 99% of humans are morons.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2008/03/01/2008-03-01_babys_mom_found_livery_cab_driver_arrest.html

I can't believe February is almost over-where has the time been going? Better yet, where is my life going? March will be starting soon-which will commerate nine monthes of a college-free existance.
March will also mark my ninth month at The 'Dip. Like every deadend job before it, the position as a serendipity cashier/sales associate was supposed to be shortlived. It was only intended to be a summer gig, a temp position to pay the rent until I got my big break. Some big break-here I am in the same position. It's nerve racking for me because here I am, living in NYC, the land of oppertunity and dreams and I just feel stuck.
I'm still trying-checking out all the usual suspects: ed2010, mediabistro, journalismjobs, hot jobs, careerbuilder etc. So far, no luck. I know I need to consider other options....I just don't know which ones. What am I even qualified to do?
I need a life coach.

Selling Crack is Whack Iness You Tax

While perusing Queens Crap, I came across an article about a recent proposol by by New York Governer Elliot Spitzer. As reported by The New York Daily News, And the New York Post, the proposed law would require drug dealers to pay $3.50 dollars a gram for marijuana and $200 a gram for all other controlled substances.

The proposal contains a passage which speaks of secrecacy. Any dealer or drug user buying said stamps is allowed to do it annonymously and the without fear of the information being used to implement them in non-tax related crimes.

As such, dealers and users are expected to affix the appropriate stamps on their drug packaging verifing that the proper tax has been paid.

Spitzer acknowledge the unlikelihood of a drug dealer coming forward to buy said stamp. "[The] proposal requires 'prompt notification'" of the tax commissioner by law-enforcement agencies and DAs 'who obtain any information that indicates that a dealer has failed to pay the tax due," Spitzer's aids told The New York Post.

In essence, a drug dealer caught with three grams of cocain would be charged for drug possesion and related charges and additional charges for avoiding the drug tax.

Critics of the proposal have labeled it "The Crack Tax." Opponents of the legislation argue that taxing it assumes that it is legal. Many fear that the tax may be the first step towards legalizing drugs.

As absurd as the proposal may sound, it is not unique. Infact, Spitzer's proposal was based off a similar one in North Carolina; similar legislation is Tennessee and other states. As the Post reported the only people buying the stamps aren't drug dealers-but stamp collectors!

The proposed legislation further reiterates what I've said all along-that the government's war on drugs is simply a need to get a slice of the pie. Even if passed, I severly doubt that all illegal drugs will be legalized-doing so is not ecomical. The legislation would allow the government to have their crack and smoke it too; they gain a piece of the illict income while "keeping America Working" by keeping police officers, prosecuters, lawyers, drug rehabilaters employed.

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-menabort7jan07,1,2766675.story?coll=la-headlines-frontpage&ctrack=5&cset=true

Above, is a link to an article in the LA Times about abortion and how a woman's decision to have one is choice that effects her partner as well as herself. The article hits an emotional artery by opening with an anecdotal lead of a father who always thinks about his son Jaime and talks to often-even though this young son was never born but aborted. The antiabortion movement is currently attempting to challenge the notion the "her body, her choice " mantra of the pro choice.

Now, at the risk of sounding like a bush supporter, I must come out and say that the thought of an abortion makes me sick and sad.

Despite my personal feelings toward abortion, I am still pro-choice. While I don't think that abortion is a choice I could ever make, I am lucky-I'm not pregnant and therefor don't have to worry about making it. Choosing to get an abortion is not like choosing which blazer to wear or what pair of shoes to buy, it's much bigger. It's a life-changing decision that the woman will have to live with forever-no matter what choice she makes.

It is for this reason that I became enraged with men who are so passionately pro-life. It angers me that they should have such strong conviction about a matter that doesn't effect them. Now, the article above does raise a fair argument-men are cheated when their sex partner (wife, random hook-up, girlfriend or whatever) makes the decision without their knowledge or consent. And while I sympathize with these men to an extent, I still believe that the woman has the right to choose-because ultimately she is the one who HAS to make a choice.

If a woman gets pregnant-the man has a choice to 1) accept responsibility and discuss What choice works best for them (or her) or 2) walk away and deny any responsibility.
The woman doesn't have this option. THE woman has no choice but to make a decision-raise the child, put the child up for adoption, abortion. In deciding to have the child, it is the mother who must bear the brunt of the work for nine-months. It's not as if moms-to-be could just hand the fetus over and say "Fine, you want the kid so bad, you carry it around for nine months." Maybe if this were an option there would be less abortions or just men would be having it. So until there is some type of medical breakthrough which would allow a man to bear the brunt of responsibility during pregnancy-men need to keep there mouths shut on the subject-or keep their pants on.

=DA HEADLINE in Monday’s Daily News, “He regrets his role in ‘postal’ vid,” implied that Richard Marino, the subject of a YouTube video, was sorry for an incident in December at a Brooklyn post office. Marino, in fact, is not sorry. The News regrets the error.

From regretthiserror.com as linked to by Medibostro.

"You are not a pop star with a No. 1 album, so you don't know," [Brittney Spears Lawyer Anne]Kiley told the judge, according to TMZ.com.
------After telling the judge that spears hadn't answered the telephone for drug testing b/c she was sleeping. Courtesy of New York Daily News "Gossip Page"

In other news, Beantown beat Denver in the Celtics vs. Nuggets game on Weds. Go Boston...who says the team sucks. Can't wait to go home to CT and watch the game on TV. =D

I just finished watching the TRAVESTY called the MTV VMAs. Brit's opening was HOT...like a hot mess!
What the hell was that? She didn't sing..she didn't dance she just gyrated and lip synced. No kisses, no cat suits, no sparkles or snakes. The show was a snooze from the jump off. Perhaps her lack of mobility was a result of her 40 inch heels she was wearing. Maybe if she laid off the fast food she could have looked thin without standing on stilts. Plus, her outfit was BORING. The only entertaining part was watching the confused reaction of the crowd.
Even Alicia keys, known to be smart, seemed flustered and confused during her hosting gig.
SARAH SILVERMAN is not funny. She is boring...and obnoxious. Brit is a schmuck, but damn leave her kids alone.
Overall, the show was an ADD kids dream. What was with all the cutting back and forth? I hear it was done on purpose, but why?
The only things that didn't suck were Chris Brown and Alicia Keys. Granted Brown was lip synching, but atleast he gave a performance. Plus, he is adorable, if only I were 16.
Alicia sang well, and the song was okay...but what was with her hair? Where is What Not TO Wear when you need 'em?
What a crappy show!